Arod+manny=whose Next?

[metsbats]

metsbats,

Partner, if I may, let me give you some professional advice.

Start to unload his stuff. Keep a few favorites, but know this: He juiced.

Trust me when I say this. He absolutely, positively, withOUT question was a HEAVY steroid user. This is coming from a Dodger fan who was heartbroken when he left the Dodgers because they wouldn't pay him the big bucks. He was smart enough to get off of them in time, and he avoided all of the problems. Mike is a smart guy, there's no question about that. I own one of his rookie bats, and one of his Mizunnos.....but that's it.

If you are heavily invested, lighten up. It will eventually come out. I am interested if he will get lambasted along with the rest of them, before his voting time comes up for the Hall.

I may take a beating here for saying this, but Mike Piazza would have NEVER even made the bigs if it hadn't been for his relationship with Lasorda. Even then, he needed bigtime help. Steroids made him into the Hall of Famer he was. And again, I am a Dodger fan and LOVED Mike Piazza. But I've read tons about his tenure over the years with the Dodgers, I've seen his physique turn into that of a greek GOD right before our eyes, and I was at Dodger Stadium the night he hit a home run out of the park which landed on top of the accordian awning over deep left center field and ricocheted into the players parking lot.....an inhuman accomplishment.

The dude has muscles on top of muscles.

Oh yeah.....he juiced heavily.

Say it isn't so Mike, Say it isn't so.

No matter I'm still a fan like others staying a loyal fan no matter what happens.

[gingi79]

Pujols would be a killer. I think he has taken the mantle as the guy we all trust is just naturally gifted and works hard.

I am beginning to wonder if you need talent to play baseball or just need to lose your testicles. If so, I have bills to pay and may look into it.

[GoTigers]

I think baseball needs to take a stance on this now,, its way overdue. Selig needs to anounce how records and HOF entry will be handled. Right now the only punishment is 50 games. If he announced that if your caught cheating, all records will be erased and you cannot enter the HOF at any point I think that would go a long way to cleaning up the game.

Do you guys think this problem is here to stay? Do you think the next batch of stars are clean? I've heard the testing has gotten pretty hard since 04. I guess Manny did a cycle in the off seaon, but got busted comming off it during spring training.

[kingjammy24]

I think baseball needs to take a stance on this now,, its way overdue. Selig needs to anounce how records and HOF entry will be handled. Right now the only punishment is 50 games. If he announced that if your caught cheating, all records will be erased and you cannot enter the HOF at any point I think that would go a long way to cleaning up the game.

Do you guys think this problem is here to stay? Do you think the next batch of stars are clean? I've heard the testing has gotten pretty hard since 04. I guess Manny did a cycle in the off seaon, but got busted comming off it during spring training.

i don't think erasing records or barring HOF entry is going to matter much to the legions of impoverished kids in places like the dominican who see major league baseball as the only route to get them and their families out of misery. the only thing that matters is the money. it's also naive and unrealistic to expect kids like that not to do everything they can from lying about their age to juicing it in order to make the majors. between being barred from the HOF or going hungry everyday, i think they'll choose the former.

of course, mcgwire, bonds, giambi, etc didn't do it to escape poverty. i guess they just did it out of ego, stupidity, and greed.

rudy.

[kingjammy24]

more about latin players and steroids:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2763194

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slu...yhoo&type=lgns

"The American guys don't have this pressure for having food for their family, maybe 20 people to support. Think about that: four brothers and four sisters. Lots of cousins, nephews. I support my brothers' kids, sisters' kids. And parents. Some uncles. Every Dominican player is the same."

rudy.

[xpress34]

I think baseball needs to take a stance on this now,, its way overdue. Selig needs to anounce how records and HOF entry will be handled. Right now the only punishment is 50 games. If he announced that if your caught cheating, all records will be erased and you cannot enter the HOF at any point I think that would go a long way to cleaning up the game.

Jimmy -

Contrary to popular belief, MLB has NO say and NO authority when it comes to the Hall of Fame. Per the National Baseball Hall of Fame website: (http://web.baseballhalloffame.org/about/faq.jsp#hof_mlb)

What is the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum's relationship with Major League Baseball?

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is independent of Major League Baseball, however it does maintain an excellent relationship with MLB.

With that stated, MLB has NO say and NO Authority to keep Shoeless Joe or Pete Rose or anyone else out of the Hall... that all comes down to the BBWAA and the Living HOF members who vote on who goes in or not and it is their vote and their vote alone that decidesa ny single players fate as it pertainf to the Hall.

Will Shoeless or Pete ever be elected? Probably not because of the relationship the Hall maintains with MLB, the voters don't want to rock the boat as MLB is their single biggest donator of GU items...

Yes, MLB BANNED Jackson and Rose from ever playing Major League Baseball again, but (again, contrary to popular belief) MLB has NO say whether Jackson or Rose gain entrance to the Hall.

I just wanted to clear this up, because it is a very common mistake, even among well educated baseball fans.

All the best -

Chris